By Herman Manson. MarkLives takes a closer look at industry bodies and associations for the marketing and advertising sectors. The organisations were invited to detail the number of existing members; key objectives; membership benefits; primary industry sector challenges, and how these are currently being addressed; key focus areas for councils/committees; awards/events; membership fees; budget; key links eg code of conduct and constitution; and key contact details.
Related Articles
These inaugural listings are voluntary and, where information or organisations are missing, it’s because they declined to submit or participate. Last week we covered marketing and advertising associations (to be included in these directories, please complete this form).
- #Directory: Marketing & advertising associations
Note: A condensed version of this feature was first published in the MarkLives weekly newsletter of 11 November 2021.
Index
- Advertising Media Forum (AMF)
- Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of SA
- National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
- Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA)
- Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO)
- Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)
- Publisher Research Council (PRC)
Advertising Media Forum (AMF)
Number of members
779 individuals across 47 agencies, consultants and Media independents.
Key objectives
The AMF is a collective of media agencies and individuals, including media strategists, planners, buyers and consultants, through whom 95% of all media expenditure in South Africa is bought. The AMF advises and represents relevant organisations and aims to create open channels of communication, and encourage and support transparent policies, strategies and transactions within the industry.
Membership benefits
- Provide accreditation for pitches
- Receive communication and updates about all related industry issues and developments
- Represented on all relevant bodies (BRC, MRF, PRC, IAB, ABC, MASA)
- Actively involved in research bodies and are instrumental in ensuring that currencies meet the standards required by the industry
- Actively involved in future-proofing the industries talent via webinars and communication with existing talent in the industry, as well as those seeking to join the media industry
Primary challenges being addressed
- Education and attracting and retaining talent: The AMF hosted a webinar in August 2021 targeting schools and students currently studying in relevant fields, as well as those who are interested in pursuing a career in media; this is an ongoing project which is managed by the education committee of the AMF board
- Research currencies and ensuring that the data available is reliable and future-proofed: Various members of the AMF are actively involved in the various key media research bodies, as well as being part of the teams that scrutinise any survey data before they are released
Council/committee focus areas
Transformation; talent and education; research; and communication.
Membership fees
- R340 per media staff member
Budget
- Under R1m per annum
Key contact details
- Karen Phelan, [email protected]
- amf.org.za
Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of SA
Number of members
518
Key objectives
ABC delivers industry-agreed standards for media brand measurement of print publications, digital channels and events. The company also verifies data, processes and good practice to these and other industry-agreed standards. The main objective is to promote the interests of the buyers (advertisers and marketers) and sellers (media owners) of advertising and promotional material by providing accurate and comparable circulation data. Further objectives are:
- To provide circulation data that is in no way inaccurate, misleading or distorted
- To deal honestly and fairly with all parties
- To increase industry awareness regarding the benefits of ABC membership and the information provided
Membership benefits
The ABC provides a measurement for a variety of media by offering a range of compliance and auditing services to meet the needs of the media industry.
- For advertisers, the ABC helps make informed decisions about their media spend; accurate and transparent information about actual circulation changes the gamble of adspend to measured certainty and the ABC acts as a stamp of measurement and trust
- It assists media owners in being transparent and accountable and enabling them to deliver proof of performance to stakeholders
- For publishers, event organisers, digital publishers and platforms, the ABC mark provides instant credibility
- Being an ABC member provides you with independently audited, accurate, consistent and regular circulation data; the ABC gives credibility to the circulation data, provides content that aids the advertiser in media-planning and -buying decisions, and aids the publisher in selling advertising
Primary challenges being addressed
In a perceived declining print industry, the ABC made great strides in affirming the relevance of printed media and keeping the ABC relevant, including growing Membership for the past term. During arguably the most challenging trading times ever, we continued to deliver a world-class service. We also stay focused to diversify our services in remaining relevant to our members. We aim to become more proactive in how we communicate. Unknown to many is that the ABC provides a measurement for various media, including digital media. Digital publishers believe, because they can provide analytics, they don’t need to register with the ABC (consider saying, because my printer counts my issues and give me the numbers, it’s unnecessary to state audited figures to the stakeholders). The ABC also provides credibility to digital platforms. ABC membership allows these digital media owners to supply advertisers and marketers with verified and accurate data such as digital publication circulation, email newsletter circulation and website traffic. The ABC also audits the attendance at exhibitions and conferences. This segment was significantly affected in the last 18 months but has moved and is finding ways to diversify.
Council/committee focus areas
The primary function is the certification and provision of accurate and comparable circulation figures to assist the bipartite groupings (advertisers/marketers and publishers) in the buying and selling of advertising and promotional material. This is achieved through agreement or auditing standards on the certificates and the reports submitted. Further functions are the certification of digital data (digital publication circulation, email newsletter circulation and website traffic) and attendance at exhibitions and conferences.
Events
None at the moment. In the future, the ABC plans to implement online information sessions/webinars/conferences about the media landscape in SA.
Membership fees
- abc.org.za/membership for info on fees and application
- Fee structure (pdf)
Key contact details
- Rickey Gounder, [email protected]
- abc.org.za
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
Number of members
85
Key objectives
- Advocate for a sustainable and viable regulated broadcasting sector
- Advance interests and needs of members
- Provide industry insights to external stakeholders
Membership benefits
- Unified and credible voice of the broadcasting sector on policy, regulatory matters and industry matters
- Provide expertise, research and support
- Coordinate engagements on industry issues and concerns
Primary challenges being addressed
- Over-regulation of the sector
- Outdated regulatory framework which is misaligned to broader industry developments
The NAB makes regular submissions to government and regulators, and engages widely across the industry in developing position papers and processes on media sustainability.
Council/committee focus areas
Content regulation; commercial radio and TV; technical and engineering; and industry research.
Events
Roundtables and seminars are hosted for members.
Membership fees
- Tiered system — fees are determined by licence category
Key links
NAB members subscribe to the Broadcasters Code of Conduct.
Key contact details
- [email protected]
- nab.org.za
Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA)
Number of members
120
Key objectives
We endeavour to work hand in hand with the various municipalities in efforts to positively transform the industry in line with government’s transformation and empowerment policies, as we believe that it’s of utmost importance to build SMMEs and develop strong working relations with all industry stakeholders to allow true transformation throughout the whole OOH advertising value chain.
Membership benefits
- Code of ethics & industry development: OHMSA members are encouraged to adhere to the constitution, rules and directives of the association
- Global information & networking: Contact is maintained with overseas outdoor associations and OOH media owners to keep abreast of the latest outdoor industry developments and to be able to source information on the industry worldwide
- Support: Association support in common problems with municipal, provincial, and national authorities.
- Consultation with government: Key local governments and SANRAL consult OHMSA when seeking guidance and assistance in drawing up policies for OOH advertising and drafting of by-laws and OOH matters
- Website listing: Listing in advertising on the OHMSA website
- Interaction with members: Regular interaction with other member companies, allowing for knowledge exchange, discussion and debate; members participate in OHMSA’s mission of developing and growing a sustainable industry
- Training: OHMSA provides training from time to time for small companies with regards to operations, development, and sales and marketing.
- Referrals: A point of call for many potential advertisers that want to use the OOH space
Primary challenges being addressed
Transformation, inclusivity, funding, research and illegalities.
Council/committee focus areas
Transformation, inclusivity, funding, research and illegalities.
Membership fees
- Once-off joining fee and monthly membership fee
Key links
- Constitution
Key contact details
- Christelle Mostert, [email protected]
- ohmsa.africa
Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO)
Number of members
50 companies
Key objectives
To transform media research across the African continent.
Membership benefits
- Network of media researchers to share information with
- Access to the PAMRO paper archives
- Free copies of the PAMRO country report
- The chance to be part of the transformation of our media research industry and assist in moving ourselves to world‑class measurement
Primary challenges being addressed
- Lack of joint industry committees
- Lack of funding for establishment surveys and media research surveys
- Trying to educate countries on the benefits of getting all stakeholders together for the common good of syndicated currencies all can have access to
Council/committee focus areas
Grow membership; promote PAMRO; thought leadership; and engagement across all countries.
Awards
PAMRO Piet Smit Plus 94 Achiever Award
Membership fees
- Student: US$35/R480
- Personal membership: US$160/R2 000
- Corporate membership: US$360/R4 500
Budget
- Under R1m
Key contact details
- Jennifer Daniel, [email protected]
- pamro.org
Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)
Number of members
425
Key objectives
Professional membership services and training.
Membership benefits
- Professional recognition
- Accreditation and credibility
- Membership to globally associations
- Deepen knowledge through CPD
- Networking events
- Awards and best practice
- Support and protection
- Exclusive discounts
Primary challenges being addressed
Economic pressure — no increase in fees.
Council/committee focus areas
Career enhancement.
Awards
Prism-awards.co.za
Membership fees
- R2 020 per annum
Budget
- R1m–R5m
Key contact details
- [email protected]
- prisa.co.za
Publisher Research Council (PRC)
Number of members
8
Key objectives
The PRC is a trusted collective that champions the written word by funding several largescale, expert studies a year to give marketers and media buyers facts at their fingertips as a powerful rationale for supporting newspapers, magazines and online publishers with adspend. These highly accurate, multimillion-rand research studies, including the PAMS (Publisher Audience Measurement Survey) readership trading currency, show that readers of the written word have better brand recall and the highest disposable income, and demonstrate that publishing platforms are trustworthy, brand-safe environments for advertisers.
Membership benefits
Members are included in various reader audience studies, including PAMS, SA’s reading currency designed to achieve an accurate measurement of reading behaviour across multiple platforms, to enable the buying and selling of advertising and advertising space across various media planning bureaux.
Primary challenges being addressed
Measuring and proving the value of an audience of readers who are ‘migrating’ online as print circulations drop. Rising costs of high-quality research online and offline are spurring the need for cross-media audience measurement to enable richer trading currencies; the PRC is leading discussions with various JICs to spearhead this cooperative.
Council/committee focus areas
The PRC meets the needs of fast-changing consumer behaviour with gold standard reader audience measurement, founded on global and local best-in-class practice, expertise and resources.
Events
- Bi-annual PAMS (reader currency) launch
- Various research studies annually
Membership fees
The PRC is funded by proportional contributions from voting members; these vary based on reported Nielsen Adspend for the preceding calendar year.
Budget
- R1m–R5m
Key contact details
- Josephine Buys, [email protected]
- prc.za.com
See also
- #Directory: Marketing & advertising associations
- Also go to Ramify.biz, our free database of agencies and agency partners in SA.
- Agencies and agency partners, including industry bodies, may create their own free profiles as per these instructions.
Herman Manson is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com. He is also the founder of Ramify.biz and the co-founder of RetailingAfrica.com.
We’ve moved from web to email, so sign up now to ensure you receive our content.
The post #Directory: Research, publishing & PR associations appeared first on MarkLives.com.
